As we have reported over the last few weeks, several members of an HSA covert intelligence unit attended a number of West Country staghounds meets in Autumn 2025. This final report focuses on the Quantocks Staghounds.
At the first meet on 18th September 2025, our operatives witnessed a laughable speech from a hunt master who claimed that the hunt conducts ‘Research and Observation’ of stags but that “trails may also be laid.” The Quantocks will also routinely claim to be flushing to guns – using two dogs – and to be ‘rescuing a casualty’ animal with no sense of irony. Basically, they use a pick and mix approach, invoking any loophole they choose to mask their illegal stag hunting.
On the 25th of September our investigators witnessed yet another mature stag being chased across the hills until he collapsed. A healthy, prime animal – who should have been entering the rut – was instead lying dead in a field, surrounded by ghoulish hunt supporters posing for photos with his broken body.
Four days later, new team members were back on the Quantock Staghounds to witness another prolonged and brutal chase through Shepherds Coombe where the stag was eventually killed. Exhausted and unable to escape, he was brought down for yet another tally on their “season total.”
Once again, our investigation has revealed how determined, extremist stag hunters are constantly adapting to evade accountability or charges: a ban on ‘trail hunting’ – though urgently needed – will not be enough in itself to stop these hardened hunters in their tracks.
Only our comprehensive set of proposals – based on over sixty years of sabotaging all types of bloodsports – will really end hunting with hounds.
Complicit in the cruelty of stag hunting are the Exmoor National Park Authority who have done nothing to ban the practice, ironically using a stag head as their logo they make no mention of the animal being hunted and killed on their web site but do use the deer to promote tourism. It seems odd that people can be banned from the use of drone – which could be used to protect deer – but that hunts and their mechanised vehicles are allowed to chase and kill the same animals with impunity.
Contact the Exmoor National Park Authority here
www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
The government has launched a public consultation on Trail Hunting – this is our chance to stop cruel hunting for good. You can read the HSA’s guidance and take part in the consultation here. The deadline is 18th June 2026 – make sure your voice is heard.
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